IvyCraft Review: AI Workspace For Infographics, Video and Podcasts
Most people working with AI today are not using one tool. They are using multiple tools for a single task. A PDF goes into ChatGPT for a summary, key points are copied into Canva for design, and a script moves into ElevenLabs for audio. Similarly, a slide deck gets built in Gamma. Then everything is checked again against the original source because nobody fully trusts the output. That is the modern version of tab overload.
ChatGPT and Claude are strong with text, but visuals still take work. NotebookLM is excellent for source-based summaries and audio overviews, but it does not give users much creative design control. Gamma makes quick slides, but it does not turn research into podcasts, comics, videos, or broader creative assets.
IvyCraft enters that gap. It is not just another chat box, but works more like an integrated AI creation workspace built for people who need to turn source material into finished communication assets.
What Is IvyCraft?
IvyCraft is a source-to-screen AI creation workspace. That means it starts with raw material and helps turn it into polished outputs. The input side is broad. Users can upload PDFs, paste URLs, add video links, work with audio files, or start from text. The output side is where IvyCraft becomes more interesting. It can generate infographics, slides, videos, comics, podcasts, posters, and storybook-style content from the same source base.
The most useful part is source tracing. When IvyCraft generates a claim, users can trace it back to the original material. AI tools are useful, but only when the user can verify where the information came from. IvyCraft is designed around that need, which makes it more practical for research, education, marketing, and business content. In other words, IvyCraft is positioned as a platform that moves beyond simple chat by turning documents, videos, and audio into multiple content formats.
How IvyCraft Was Tested?
For this review, IvyCraft was tested across two weeks of regular use. The input materials included a 20-page academic PDF on climate technology, a 45-minute YouTube investor lecture, and a recorded internal team audio memo. These were chosen on purpose. A good AI workspace should not only handle clean text. It should be able to make sense of dense research, spoken content, and messy internal material.
The outputs tested included one slide deck, one infographic, one short video, one comic strip, and one podcast script. The IvyCraft review focused on three things: whether the outputs stayed coherent, whether the design quality was usable without heavy fixing, and whether the platform reduced hallucination by tying claims back to source content.
Results:
Deep Dive: Core Features
Here are some core features of IvyCraft that you should know about:
The Source Library
The Source Library is where IvyCraft starts to feel less like a chatbot and more like a workspace.
Instead of asking questions in an empty chat window, users first upload or add their source materials. That could be a PDF report, a YouTube lecture, an audio memo, a URL, or a text document. IvyCraft then reads those materials before generating anything.
That matters more than it sounds. In many AI tools, users spend half the time reminding the model what the project is about. IvyCraft keeps the source context available. The workflow feels closer to building from a research folder than chatting with a general model.
For researchers, this is useful because arguments stay closer to the source. For marketers, it means one webinar or white paper can become several content assets. For teachers, a lesson can start from one video or chapter and turn into a visual learning material.
AI Infographics: The Visual Breakthrough
The infographic tool is one of IvyCraft’s strongest features. The basic process is simple. Highlight or select content, then generate an infographic. The question is whether IvyCraft simply dumps bullet points into a decorative template or actually understands the information.
The answer is mixed, but mostly positive. For the climate tech PDF, IvyCraft did more than create a circle of bullets. It grouped related ideas, separated causes from outcomes, and turned timeline-style information into a visual flow. The first version still needed refinement, mostly spacing and wording, but the logic of the layout made sense.
This is where IvyCraft stands apart from text-first AI tools. A summary is useful, but an infographic changes how quickly someone else can understand the material. The platform seems to understand that knowledge work does not end with comprehension. It ends when the idea can be communicated clearly.
Results:
The weaker side needs polishing. Dense source material can lead to crowded visuals. Shorter, cleaner sections produce better infographics. Still, as a first draft, the feature is strong enough to save serious time.
AI Video and Comics
The video and comic tools are built for repurposing. That is where IvyCraft starts becoming valuable for educators, marketers, and internal communication teams.
A dry report can become a short explainer video. A lecture can become a comic strip for students. A webinar can turn into short social content.
The short video output was best when the topic had a clear structure. The investor lecture, for example, converted well into a short “key takeaways” video. The pacing was acceptable, the script was readable, and the visuals followed the main ideas. It was not a replacement for a professional editor. It was, however, a very solid first version.
Result:
The voiceover quality was usable. It sounded clean enough for internal content, learning material, and social snippets. For polished brand campaigns, manual editing would still help.
The comic output was surprisingly effective for education-style content. IvyCraft turned abstract climate tech concepts into a sequence of panels that felt easier to follow than a plain summary.
The main limitation is depth. IvyCraft’s AI video feature is better for short loops, explainers, and social clips than long narrative videos. That is not a failure. It is just where the tool currently fits best.
AI Slides: The Gamma Competitor
Slides are where IvyCraft enters more familiar territory. Gamma, Tome, and similar tools already made prompt-to-deck generation popular.
IvyCraft’s advantage is not that it creates slides. It is that the slides are grounded in the uploaded source material.
When the climate tech PDF was converted into a deck, IvyCraft did a decent job identifying the argument structure. It opened with the problem, moved into market forces, then covered technology categories and investment implications. That is better than simply shuffling facts.
If the goal is a quick startup pitch from a short prompt, Gamma may feel faster. If the goal is a slide deck based on a real document, IvyCraft feels safer.
Source Traceability: The Fact-Check Mode
Source traceability is one of IvyCraft’s most important features.
When a generated output contains a claim, users can trace that claim back to the source. In practice, this reduces the anxiety that comes with AI-generated material. Instead of rereading the entire PDF to verify one point, users can jump back to the original section.
NotebookLM is already strong in source-grounded Q&A. IvyCraft’s key move is applying similar trust mechanics to creative outputs. A slide, infographic, or podcast script is more useful when it can still point back to the original source.
For casual users, this may feel like a nice bonus. For professional users, it is one of the reasons the product is worth taking seriously.
Workflow Comparison: Before Vs. After
The biggest value of IvyCraft becomes obvious when comparing workflows.
Scenario
The Old Way
The IvyCraft Way
Researcher
Read PDF for 2 hours, summarize in Word, build PowerPoint manually
Upload PDF, generate summary, convert key sections into infographic and slides
Teacher
Find YouTube video, write questions, search for images, create worksheet
Paste video URL, generate comic strip, create quiz or lesson asset
Marketing Team
Listen to webinar, transcribe audio, feed notes into ChatGPT, design assets in Canva
Upload audio, extract quotes, generate video clips and visual content
Analyst
Review long report, pull charts manually, build executive summary
Upload source, generate slide deck, trace claims back to source
Internal Team
Turn meeting audio into notes, then rewrite for updates
Upload audio memo, generate summary, podcast script, and short shareable content
This is where IvyCraft’s value becomes clearer. It does not only save time on one task. It reduces handoffs between tools.
That matters because most knowledge work is not difficult at one step. It becomes difficult because the work keeps moving between apps.
Why Choose IvyCraft Over NotebookLM?
NotebookLM is a strong tool. It is especially useful for source-based Q&A and audio summaries. But it has limits.
NotebookLM can help users understand sources, but its creative flexibility is narrower. Its generated images cannot be edited afterward in the same way a design workspace allows. Outside of image and podcast generation, users still rely heavily on prompts and external tools to create visual assets.
IvyCraft does not have that same limitation. It supports a wider range of outputs, including PPTX presentations, infographics, comics, podcasts, posters, videos, and more. That makes it more useful when the goal is not only to understand material but to turn that material into communication.
Source traceability is also comparable in intent. Both platforms take grounding seriously. The difference is that IvyCraft carries that traceability into more content formats.
So the choice is not simply “IvyCraft vs. NotebookLM.” It is more about the job. If the goal is studying and asking questions, NotebookLM works well. If the goal is turning source material into finished creative assets, IvyCraft has the broader workspace.
Head-To-Head Comparison
Feature
IvyCraft
NotebookLM
Gamma
ChatGPT
Core Output
Visual + Audio + Text
Audio + Notes
Slides
Text/Chat
Infographics
Native
No
Limited
Limited
Video/Comics
Yes
No
No
No
Podcasts
Yes
Yes
No
Script only
Slides
Yes
No native deck generation
Yes
Outline only
Source Citation
Strong visual/source tracing
Strong text grounding
Limited
Depends on input
Best For
End-to-end content creation
Study and source Q&A
Quick decks
Brainstorming and writing
IvyCraft’s strongest advantage is range. It combines analysis and creation in a way most competitors do not.
Pros And Cons
Here are some pros and cons that can help you come up with a decision:
Pros
The Glue is Real:IvyCraft brings reading, summarizing, designing, and repurposing into one flow. That is its strongest quality.
Visual IQ is Better than Expected: The infographic and comic tools are not just decorative. They often organize ideas in a way that makes sense.
Source Tracing Builds Trust: Being able to click back to original material reduces the “black box” feeling that comes with many AI tools.
Good for Repurposing: One source can become a deck, podcast, short video, and visual summary.
Cons
Video Still Works Best for Short Content: It is useful for clips and explainers, but not yet a full replacement for long-form video production.
The Workspace Model Takes Adjustment: Users coming from ChatGPT may expect to start typing immediately. IvyCraft works better when sources are uploaded first.
Visual Exports May Need Cleanup: Dense infographics and slides can require manual spacing fixes before final use.
Pricing And Value
IvyCraft’s value depends on how many tools it replaces. A typical content or research workflow may involve Canva Pro, ChatGPT Plus, NotebookLM, a video tool, a podcast tool, and a slide generator. Even if some of those tools are free, the workflow still costs time and attention.
Basic: $7.00/month with 10,000 tokens
Pro: $14.00/month with 20,000 tokens
Max: $70.00/month with 100,000 tokens
Who Is IvyCraft For?
Good Fit
Researchers and Analysts who need to turn dense source material into visual briefs, slides, or summaries.
Educators who want to make lessons more engaging by converting chapters or videos into comics, quizzes, storyboards, or audio material.
Content Marketers who need to repurpose one webinar, report, or podcast into multiple pieces of content.
Consultants who regularly turn research into decks, client summaries, and visual explanations.
Bad Fit
Coders who need advanced code execution, debugging, or notebook-style computation.
Users Who Only Need Simple Chat may find the workspace model more than they need.
FAQ
Is IvyCraft Better Than NotebookLM?
It depends on the use case. NotebookLM is excellent for source Q&A and audio overviews. IvyCraft is stronger when users need multiple output formats, such as slides, infographics, comics, podcasts, posters, and videos. It is better for creation, not just study.
Can IvyCraft Generate AI Podcasts From My PDF?
Yes. IvyCraft can use uploaded source material, such as PDFs, to generate podcast-style scripts or audio content. This is useful for turning long reports or research documents into easier listening formats.
Is The Infographic Export High Resolution?
IvyCraft’s infographic output is usable for presentations, internal reports, teaching material, and social content. Complex visuals may still need light editing, especially when the source material is dense.
Does IvyCraft Hallucinate Facts?
IvyCraft reduces hallucination risk by grounding outputs in uploaded sources and offering traceability. That does not mean users should skip review. It means fact-checking is much easier because claims can be traced back to the original material.
Can I Edit the Slides After AI Generates Them?
Yes. IvyCraft-generated slides can be adjusted after creation. In practice, most decks still benefit from light editing before presentation, especially around wording, spacing, and visual emphasis.
The Verdict
IvyCraft earns a strong 4.5 out of 5. It is not just a chat wrapper. The platform understands something many AI tools still miss: knowledge work does not stop at summarization. Most professionals need to explain, present, teach, publish, or repurpose what they learn. That is where IvyCraft stands out. It connects source understanding with content creation, and it does so across formats that usually require several tools. It still has rough edges. Some features might need improvement, but the direction is right. For anyone tired of copying text between AI tools, design apps, slide generators, and audio tools, IvyCraft feels like a serious step forward. Stop switching tabs. Start crafting. Try IvyCraft for free!
Most people working with AI today are not using one tool. They are using multiple tools for a single task. A PDF goes into ChatGPT for a summary, key points are copied into Canva for design, and a script moves into ElevenLabs for audio. Similarly, a slide deck gets built in Gamma. Then everything is checked again against the original source because nobody fully trusts the output. That is the modern version of tab overload.
ChatGPT and Claude are strong with text, but visuals still take work. NotebookLM is excellent for source-based summaries and audio overviews, but it does not give users much creative design control. Gamma makes quick slides, but it does not turn research into podcasts, comics, videos, or broader creative assets.
IvyCraft enters that gap. It is not just another chat box, but works more like an integrated AI creation workspace built for people who need to turn source material into finished communication assets.
What Is IvyCraft?
IvyCraft is a source-to-screen AI creation workspace. That means it starts with raw material and helps turn it into polished outputs. The input side is broad. Users can upload PDFs, paste URLs, add video links, work with audio files, or start from text. The output side is where IvyCraft becomes more interesting. It can generate infographics, slides, videos, comics, podcasts, posters, and storybook-style content from the same source base.
The most useful part is source tracing. When IvyCraft generates a claim, users can trace it back to the original material. AI tools are useful, but only when the user can verify where the information came from. IvyCraft is designed around that need, which makes it more practical for research, education, marketing, and business content. In other words, IvyCraft is positioned as a platform that moves beyond simple chat by turning documents, videos, and audio into multiple content formats.
How IvyCraft Was Tested?
For this review, IvyCraft was tested across two weeks of regular use. The input materials included a 20-page academic PDF on climate technology, a 45-minute YouTube investor lecture, and a recorded internal team audio memo. These were chosen on purpose. A good AI workspace should not only handle clean text. It should be able to make sense of dense research, spoken content, and messy internal material.
The outputs tested included one slide deck, one infographic, one short video, one comic strip, and one podcast script. The IvyCraft review focused on three things: whether the outputs stayed coherent, whether the design quality was usable without heavy fixing, and whether the platform reduced hallucination by tying claims back to source content.
Results:
Deep Dive: Core Features
Here are some core features of IvyCraft that you should know about:
The Source Library
The Source Library is where IvyCraft starts to feel less like a chatbot and more like a workspace.
Instead of asking questions in an empty chat window, users first upload or add their source materials. That could be a PDF report, a YouTube lecture, an audio memo, a URL, or a text document. IvyCraft then reads those materials before generating anything.
That matters more than it sounds. In many AI tools, users spend half the time reminding the model what the project is about. IvyCraft keeps the source context available. The workflow feels closer to building from a research folder than chatting with a general model.
For researchers, this is useful because arguments stay closer to the source. For marketers, it means one webinar or white paper can become several content assets. For teachers, a lesson can start from one video or chapter and turn into a visual learning material.
AI Infographics: The Visual Breakthrough
The infographic tool is one of IvyCraft’s strongest features. The basic process is simple. Highlight or select content, then generate an infographic. The question is whether IvyCraft simply dumps bullet points into a decorative template or actually understands the information.
The answer is mixed, but mostly positive. For the climate tech PDF, IvyCraft did more than create a circle of bullets. It grouped related ideas, separated causes from outcomes, and turned timeline-style information into a visual flow. The first version still needed refinement, mostly spacing and wording, but the logic of the layout made sense.
This is where IvyCraft stands apart from text-first AI tools. A summary is useful, but an infographic changes how quickly someone else can understand the material. The platform seems to understand that knowledge work does not end with comprehension. It ends when the idea can be communicated clearly.
Results:
The weaker side needs polishing. Dense source material can lead to crowded visuals. Shorter, cleaner sections produce better infographics. Still, as a first draft, the feature is strong enough to save serious time.
AI Video and Comics
The video and comic tools are built for repurposing. That is where IvyCraft starts becoming valuable for educators, marketers, and internal communication teams.
A dry report can become a short explainer video. A lecture can become a comic strip for students. A webinar can turn into short social content.
The short video output was best when the topic had a clear structure. The investor lecture, for example, converted well into a short “key takeaways” video. The pacing was acceptable, the script was readable, and the visuals followed the main ideas. It was not a replacement for a professional editor. It was, however, a very solid first version.
Result:
The voiceover quality was usable. It sounded clean enough for internal content, learning material, and social snippets. For polished brand campaigns, manual editing would still help.
The comic output was surprisingly effective for education-style content. IvyCraft turned abstract climate tech concepts into a sequence of panels that felt easier to follow than a plain summary.
The main limitation is depth. IvyCraft’s AI video feature is better for short loops, explainers, and social clips than long narrative videos. That is not a failure. It is just where the tool currently fits best.
AI Slides: The Gamma Competitor
Slides are where IvyCraft enters more familiar territory. Gamma, Tome, and similar tools already made prompt-to-deck generation popular.
IvyCraft’s advantage is not that it creates slides. It is that the slides are grounded in the uploaded source material.
When the climate tech PDF was converted into a deck, IvyCraft did a decent job identifying the argument structure. It opened with the problem, moved into market forces, then covered technology categories and investment implications. That is better than simply shuffling facts.
If the goal is a quick startup pitch from a short prompt, Gamma may feel faster. If the goal is a slide deck based on a real document, IvyCraft feels safer.
Source Traceability: The Fact-Check Mode
Source traceability is one of IvyCraft’s most important features.
When a generated output contains a claim, users can trace that claim back to the source. In practice, this reduces the anxiety that comes with AI-generated material. Instead of rereading the entire PDF to verify one point, users can jump back to the original section.
NotebookLM is already strong in source-grounded Q&A. IvyCraft’s key move is applying similar trust mechanics to creative outputs. A slide, infographic, or podcast script is more useful when it can still point back to the original source.
For casual users, this may feel like a nice bonus. For professional users, it is one of the reasons the product is worth taking seriously.
Workflow Comparison: Before Vs. After
The biggest value of IvyCraft becomes obvious when comparing workflows.
Scenario
The Old Way
The IvyCraft Way
Researcher
Read PDF for 2 hours, summarize in Word, build PowerPoint manually
Upload PDF, generate summary, convert key sections into infographic and slides
Teacher
Find YouTube video, write questions, search for images, create worksheet
Paste video URL, generate comic strip, create quiz or lesson asset
Marketing Team
Listen to webinar, transcribe audio, feed notes into ChatGPT, design assets in Canva
Upload audio, extract quotes, generate video clips and visual content
Analyst
Review long report, pull charts manually, build executive summary
Upload source, generate slide deck, trace claims back to source
Internal Team
Turn meeting audio into notes, then rewrite for updates
Upload audio memo, generate summary, podcast script, and short shareable content
This is where IvyCraft’s value becomes clearer. It does not only save time on one task. It reduces handoffs between tools.
That matters because most knowledge work is not difficult at one step. It becomes difficult because the work keeps moving between apps.
Why Choose IvyCraft Over NotebookLM?
NotebookLM is a strong tool. It is especially useful for source-based Q&A and audio summaries. But it has limits.
NotebookLM can help users understand sources, but its creative flexibility is narrower. Its generated images cannot be edited afterward in the same way a design workspace allows. Outside of image and podcast generation, users still rely heavily on prompts and external tools to create visual assets.
IvyCraft does not have that same limitation. It supports a wider range of outputs, including PPTX presentations, infographics, comics, podcasts, posters, videos, and more. That makes it more useful when the goal is not only to understand material but to turn that material into communication.
Source traceability is also comparable in intent. Both platforms take grounding seriously. The difference is that IvyCraft carries that traceability into more content formats.
So the choice is not simply “IvyCraft vs. NotebookLM.” It is more about the job. If the goal is studying and asking questions, NotebookLM works well. If the goal is turning source material into finished creative assets, IvyCraft has the broader workspace.
Head-To-Head Comparison
Feature
IvyCraft
NotebookLM
Gamma
ChatGPT
Core Output
Visual + Audio + Text
Audio + Notes
Slides
Text/Chat
Infographics
Native
No
Limited
Limited
Video/Comics
Yes
No
No
No
Podcasts
Yes
Yes
No
Script only
Slides
Yes
No native deck generation
Yes
Outline only
Source Citation
Strong visual/source tracing
Strong text grounding
Limited
Depends on input
Best For
End-to-end content creation
Study and source Q&A
Quick decks
Brainstorming and writing
IvyCraft’s strongest advantage is range. It combines analysis and creation in a way most competitors do not.
Pros And Cons
Here are some pros and cons that can help you come up with a decision:
Pros
The Glue is Real:IvyCraft brings reading, summarizing, designing, and repurposing into one flow. That is its strongest quality.
Visual IQ is Better than Expected: The infographic and comic tools are not just decorative. They often organize ideas in a way that makes sense.
Source Tracing Builds Trust: Being able to click back to original material reduces the “black box” feeling that comes with many AI tools.
Good for Repurposing: One source can become a deck, podcast, short video, and visual summary.
Cons
Video Still Works Best for Short Content: It is useful for clips and explainers, but not yet a full replacement for long-form video production.
The Workspace Model Takes Adjustment: Users coming from ChatGPT may expect to start typing immediately. IvyCraft works better when sources are uploaded first.
Visual Exports May Need Cleanup: Dense infographics and slides can require manual spacing fixes before final use.
Pricing And Value
IvyCraft’s value depends on how many tools it replaces. A typical content or research workflow may involve Canva Pro, ChatGPT Plus, NotebookLM, a video tool, a podcast tool, and a slide generator. Even if some of those tools are free, the workflow still costs time and attention.
Basic: $7.00/month with 10,000 tokens
Pro: $14.00/month with 20,000 tokens
Max: $70.00/month with 100,000 tokens
Who Is IvyCraft For?
Good Fit
Researchers and Analysts who need to turn dense source material into visual briefs, slides, or summaries.
Educators who want to make lessons more engaging by converting chapters or videos into comics, quizzes, storyboards, or audio material.
Content Marketers who need to repurpose one webinar, report, or podcast into multiple pieces of content.
Consultants who regularly turn research into decks, client summaries, and visual explanations.
Bad Fit
Coders who need advanced code execution, debugging, or notebook-style computation.
Users Who Only Need Simple Chat may find the workspace model more than they need.
FAQ
Is IvyCraft Better Than NotebookLM?
It depends on the use case. NotebookLM is excellent for source Q&A and audio overviews. IvyCraft is stronger when users need multiple output formats, such as slides, infographics, comics, podcasts, posters, and videos. It is better for creation, not just study.
Can IvyCraft Generate AI Podcasts From My PDF?
Yes. IvyCraft can use uploaded source material, such as PDFs, to generate podcast-style scripts or audio content. This is useful for turning long reports or research documents into easier listening formats.
Is The Infographic Export High Resolution?
IvyCraft’s infographic output is usable for presentations, internal reports, teaching material, and social content. Complex visuals may still need light editing, especially when the source material is dense.
Does IvyCraft Hallucinate Facts?
IvyCraft reduces hallucination risk by grounding outputs in uploaded sources and offering traceability. That does not mean users should skip review. It means fact-checking is much easier because claims can be traced back to the original material.
Can I Edit the Slides After AI Generates Them?
Yes. IvyCraft-generated slides can be adjusted after creation. In practice, most decks still benefit from light editing before presentation, especially around wording, spacing, and visual emphasis.
The Verdict
IvyCraft earns a strong 4.5 out of 5. It is not just a chat wrapper. The platform understands something many AI tools still miss: knowledge work does not stop at summarization. Most professionals need to explain, present, teach, publish, or repurpose what they learn. That is where IvyCraft stands out. It connects source understanding with content creation, and it does so across formats that usually require several tools. It still has rough edges. Some features might need improvement, but the direction is right. For anyone tired of copying text between AI tools, design apps, slide generators, and audio tools, IvyCraft feels like a serious step forward. Stop switching tabs. Start crafting. Try IvyCraft for free!
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#IvyCraft #Review #Workspace #Infographics #Video #Podcasts
Polymarket launched the company’s first podcast on Friday. The weekly show is called “What Are the Odds?” and will look at pop culture broadly—from celebrity news to award shows and movies—informed by how people are betting on all of them through prediction markets.
The show is being positioned as something that will highlight what’s called the “information market” from the perspective of entertainment in a fresh way, aiming to differentiate itself from the more staid and traditional financial media landscape.
The show will feature rotating hosts, according to Variety, including Jackie Oshry from “The Toast”, Taylor Strecker from “Taste of Taylor”, Amanda Hirsch from “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” and Heather McMahan from “Absolutely Not.” All of those shows are currently distributed by Dear Media, which is Polymarket’s partner in “What Are the Odds?”
Josh Tucker, Polymarket’s head of creative marketing, told Variety, “As the world’s largest information market, Polymarket reveals what the world thinks will happen next and ‘What Are the Odds?’ turns that real-time read into conversations led by some of the most beloved voices in podcasting. Our partnership with Dear Media marks a new chapter in how prediction markets capture the pulse of culture around the world.”
It makes a lot of sense for prediction markets to seek to expand interest in celebrity news and bets. Contracts on both Kalshi and Polymarket have been dominated by other topics over the past year, according to Pew Research.
Far and away the most popular topic is sports, which makes up 80% of trading volume on Kalshi and 39% on Polymarket since July 2024, per Pew’s analysis. Cryptocurrency bets also rank highly, with 7% of total volume on Kalshi and 20% of total volume on Polymarket, Pew reports. Politics has made up 4% of volume on Kalshi in the past year and 32% on Polymarket.
If you do some quick math, that means 91% of Polymarket’s volume has involved bets on sports, crypto, and politics. And while we don’t have the data for exactly what the other 9% might be covering, it would make sense for the company to try and grow the pop culture segment of its business, especially given the crowded field in sports gambling and growing regulatory scrutiny.
“Our hosts don’t just cover pop culture—they help shape it,” Dear Media founder and CEO Michael Bosstick told Variety.
“Pop culture moves fast, and partnering with Polymarket gives our hosts a new way to engage with the stories and conversations capturing people’s attention. ‘What Are the Odds?’ leverages the platform in a way that’s uniquely Dear Media, with hosts reacting in real time to what people are predicting and sharing their unfiltered takes along the way. The show creates a compelling new way to engage audiences, bringing a fresh perspective to the stories people can’t stop talking about.”
Polymarket launched the company’s first podcast on Friday. The weekly show is called “What Are the Odds?” and will look at pop culture broadly—from celebrity news to award shows and movies—informed by how people are betting on all of them through prediction markets.
The show is being positioned as something that will highlight what’s called the “information market” from the perspective of entertainment in a fresh way, aiming to differentiate itself from the more staid and traditional financial media landscape.
The show will feature rotating hosts, according to Variety, including Jackie Oshry from “The Toast”, Taylor Strecker from “Taste of Taylor”, Amanda Hirsch from “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” and Heather McMahan from “Absolutely Not.” All of those shows are currently distributed by Dear Media, which is Polymarket’s partner in “What Are the Odds?”
Josh Tucker, Polymarket’s head of creative marketing, told Variety, “As the world’s largest information market, Polymarket reveals what the world thinks will happen next and ‘What Are the Odds?’ turns that real-time read into conversations led by some of the most beloved voices in podcasting. Our partnership with Dear Media marks a new chapter in how prediction markets capture the pulse of culture around the world.”
It makes a lot of sense for prediction markets to seek to expand interest in celebrity news and bets. Contracts on both Kalshi and Polymarket have been dominated by other topics over the past year, according to Pew Research.
Far and away the most popular topic is sports, which makes up 80% of trading volume on Kalshi and 39% on Polymarket since July 2024, per Pew’s analysis. Cryptocurrency bets also rank highly, with 7% of total volume on Kalshi and 20% of total volume on Polymarket, Pew reports. Politics has made up 4% of volume on Kalshi in the past year and 32% on Polymarket.
If you do some quick math, that means 91% of Polymarket’s volume has involved bets on sports, crypto, and politics. And while we don’t have the data for exactly what the other 9% might be covering, it would make sense for the company to try and grow the pop culture segment of its business, especially given the crowded field in sports gambling and growing regulatory scrutiny.
“Our hosts don’t just cover pop culture—they help shape it,” Dear Media founder and CEO Michael Bosstick told Variety.
“Pop culture moves fast, and partnering with Polymarket gives our hosts a new way to engage with the stories and conversations capturing people’s attention. ‘What Are the Odds?’ leverages the platform in a way that’s uniquely Dear Media, with hosts reacting in real time to what people are predicting and sharing their unfiltered takes along the way. The show creates a compelling new way to engage audiences, bringing a fresh perspective to the stories people can’t stop talking about.”
#Polymarket #Launches #Entertainment #Podcast #OddsGambling,Kalshi,Polymarket">Polymarket Launches Its First Entertainment Podcast: ‘What Are the Odds?’
Polymarket launched the company’s first podcast on Friday. The weekly show is called “What Are the Odds?” and will look at pop culture broadly—from celebrity news to award shows and movies—informed by how people are betting on all of them through prediction markets.
The show is being positioned as something that will highlight what’s called the “information market” from the perspective of entertainment in a fresh way, aiming to differentiate itself from the more staid and traditional financial media landscape.
The show will feature rotating hosts, according to Variety, including Jackie Oshry from “The Toast”, Taylor Strecker from “Taste of Taylor”, Amanda Hirsch from “Not Skinny But Not Fat,” and Heather McMahan from “Absolutely Not.” All of those shows are currently distributed by Dear Media, which is Polymarket’s partner in “What Are the Odds?”
Josh Tucker, Polymarket’s head of creative marketing, told Variety, “As the world’s largest information market, Polymarket reveals what the world thinks will happen next and ‘What Are the Odds?’ turns that real-time read into conversations led by some of the most beloved voices in podcasting. Our partnership with Dear Media marks a new chapter in how prediction markets capture the pulse of culture around the world.”
It makes a lot of sense for prediction markets to seek to expand interest in celebrity news and bets. Contracts on both Kalshi and Polymarket have been dominated by other topics over the past year, according to Pew Research.
Far and away the most popular topic is sports, which makes up 80% of trading volume on Kalshi and 39% on Polymarket since July 2024, per Pew’s analysis. Cryptocurrency bets also rank highly, with 7% of total volume on Kalshi and 20% of total volume on Polymarket, Pew reports. Politics has made up 4% of volume on Kalshi in the past year and 32% on Polymarket.
If you do some quick math, that means 91% of Polymarket’s volume has involved bets on sports, crypto, and politics. And while we don’t have the data for exactly what the other 9% might be covering, it would make sense for the company to try and grow the pop culture segment of its business, especially given the crowded field in sports gambling and growing regulatory scrutiny.
“Our hosts don’t just cover pop culture—they help shape it,” Dear Media founder and CEO Michael Bosstick told Variety.
“Pop culture moves fast, and partnering with Polymarket gives our hosts a new way to engage with the stories and conversations capturing people’s attention. ‘What Are the Odds?’ leverages the platform in a way that’s uniquely Dear Media, with hosts reacting in real time to what people are predicting and sharing their unfiltered takes along the way. The show creates a compelling new way to engage audiences, bringing a fresh perspective to the stories people can’t stop talking about.”
That’s why we periodically poll Mashable readers to see which products they use and love. For this edition of the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards, big names like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL were in close competition. But in the end, Bose came out on top for both headphones/earbuds and speakers.
Top headphone and earbud brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose wins the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall headphones/earbuds brand in 2026.
We’ve tested all of Bose’s recent headphones and earbuds offerings, and you’ll find them all over our best lists. Readers praised Bose’s sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation, with multiple people noting that Bose headphones are great for travel.
One respondent said, “Bose are the standard in leading sound quality.” While another noted, “For the price and sound quality, I believe there is no equal.”
Another reader wrote that they always have a great experience with Bose and usually consider its products when purchasing.
Our own headphone expert, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, noted that the release of Bose’s noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones in 2000 changed the game.
“For the past 26 years, Bose proved its consistency release after release, blending together comfortable all-day wear and some of the best noise cancellation available on the market, making it hard to not feel satisfied with the experience of using their headphones, and trusting in their ability to deliver on a premium product,” Allard said.
Bose is our readers’ favorite headphones and earbuds brand in 2026.Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Apple was the second-highest rated for overall satisfaction and the brand readers were most likely to recommend. A large ratio of responses mentioned the seamless pairing and integration across other Apple devices.
“Apple’s AirPods Pro are extremely convenient with instant pairing, great integration across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and top-tier transparency mode that makes them perfect for commuting and working in shared spaces. The noise cancellation, sound quality, and call performance are strong enough that I can use a single pair of earbuds for work, workouts, and travel,” reported one respondent.
Best headphone/earbud brand for noise cancellation
Noise cancellation can be either passive or active. Passive noise cancellation refers to how much sound is blocked out by the headphones/earbuds themselves, with factors such as materials used and how tight the seal is over or in your ear. Active noise cancellation is achieved via microphones in the headphones that measure sound waves and create inverse wavelengths to cancel out the noise. Additionally, headphones and earbuds will often have a built-in white noise-esque hiss to cover some frequencies. When testing audio products, we typically dock headphones and earbuds if we’re able to hear that hiss.
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, Mashable readers rated Bose and Sony the same, 8.3 out of 10. Because Bose had the higher overall score, we’re awarding it the win.
That also aligns with our own testing. Allard named the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) the best overall value for noise-cancelling headphones, with “the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC.” But did note that Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have the best noise cancellation overall.
Allard says, “In my own testing of Bose headphones and earbuds, I’ve found them to this day to provide the longest wearing options that really do deliver on top-notch ANC. Yes, their products are an investment, but they’re also the manifestation of the phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’”
One of our readers said they’d recommend Bose because “the noise cancelling is still among the best, which makes a huge difference when I’m flying or working in noisy coffee shops.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for sound quality
Sound quality is another area where we saw a tie between two brands. Sony and JBL were both rated 8.5 in sound quality, but we’ve crowned Sony the winner because of its higher overall satisfaction score.
If you look at any of our headphones or earbuds guides, you’ll see that Sony consistently wins superlatives for its sound quality. We’ve named the WH-1000XM6s the “best sounding headphones” and the WF-1000XM6s the “best overall” earbuds, noting that Sony provides “some of the best sound quality available.”
Mashable Light Speed
We agree with our readers that Sony headphones and earbuds have excellent sound quality.Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Many of our survey respondents called out Sony’s sound quality in their answers: “Good build quality and really good sound,” “Very good sound, great value,” and “The sound is amazing” were common responses.
One reader said, “I would recommend the Sony headset because it delivers excellent sound quality, clear microphone audio, and comfortable ear padding that’s ideal for long use.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for battery life
What good is a pair of headphones or earbuds if they’re dead every time you go to wear them? Battery life is an important factor in choosing a portable audio product, and Mashable readers found Sony to be the best in that regard.
“The battery life easily lasts through a full day,” said one reader.
Best headphone/earbud brand for comfort
Mashable’s headphone experts all name Bose as the most comfortable headphones, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) topping our list of the most comfortable headphones we’ve ever tested. However, Mashable readers have a different opinion.
JBL actually took the win with the highest comfort score in our survey. One respondent said, “The sound is fantastic and fit is comfortable.”
Another echoed that sentiment, saying, “They hold up and sound great, plus they’re affordable and comfortable.”
Most likely to recommend
Apple won in a number of categories this year, and it’s the brand our readers were most likely to recommend to a friend or colleague. We’re huge Apple nerds at Mashable, so it’s no surprise that our readers are, too.
Our reviewers rank Apple, Bose, and Sony headphones among the best.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
One of the most common reasons readers love Apple AirPods products? The easy pairing between AirPods and other Apple devices.
“I’d recommend AirPods to people who use Apple devices because they connect instantly, are extremely easy to use, and work great for calls and casual listening,” said one response.
Comments praised Apple earbuds for their ease of use, integration with other Apple products, quick pairing, quality, fit, value, and reliability.
“I would recommend Apple because their devices are reliable, easy to use, and work really well together,” wrote one reader. “The products last a long time, and I trust the brand and feel confident recommending to others.”
Top speaker brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose comes out on top once again, winning the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall speakers in 2026. Our readers sang Bose’s praises for excellent sound quality, easy portability, and longevity — multiple respondents mentioned owning the same Bose speaker for more than 10 years.
One reader said, “Bose is phenomenal in the speaker game; I can’t say enough about them, especially if you are listening to hear, feel, and understand the music — not just listening to pass the time. Bose is where you want to be.”
Our survey results actually paint a picture of a neck-and-neck race between Bose and JBL, each taking turns beating the other out for the top spot in almost every ranking category.
The one space where they were both outranked was smart features. Amazon was ranked highest there, which is a shock to no one. One reader said, “I’d recommend Amazon because the Echo Dot offers excellent smart features with Alexa, easy setup, and surprisingly good sound for a very affordable price, making it a great everyday home speaker.”
Best speaker brand for sound quality
In addition to being the best speaker brand overall, Bose takes the cake for best sound quality.
Mashable readers loved Bose speakers for their reliability and sound quality, and rated Bose highest for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Allard noted that Bose products tend to sound great out of the box, so you don’t have to mess around with the equalizer to get a great listening experience. Other Mashable reviewers agree that they sound excellent and have room-filling sound that doesn’t get muddy or blown out at loud volumes.
As one reader put it, Bose has “unbelievable sound quality, great lows and crisp highs; just a terrific speaker.”
Best speaker brand for battery life
Most Bluetooth speakers are also portable, meaning they don’t have to be plugged into anything to play music. That also means they rely on a charged battery to keep the audio going.
Mashable readers found JBL speakers to have the best battery life, with one commenting that the “battery lasts all day.”
Mashable readers loved JBL speakers for their battery life, portability, cost, design, setup, ease of use, cvolume level, companion app, and connectivity.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Best speaker brand for portability
On top of battery being a factor in portability, size, weight, and design also play a role. Again, Mashable readers rated JBL highest for portability. They mentioned taking their JBL speakers to the park, the beach, rooftop hangs, gatherings in small apartments, and on hikes.
The scale tips back to Bose for reliability. As mentioned earlier, multiple Bose users reported owning the same speaker for more than a decade.
One reader said of their Bose SoundLink Revolve, “Wonderful sound in a small, portable speaker. I’ve had this speaker for years, and it’s always been my go-to speaker.”
Another voiced, “Bose is a tried and true brand that still delivers some of the best sound at a reasonable price point.”
Most likely to recommend
The speaker brand that Mashable readers are most likely to recommend to their friends, family, and colleagues is a tie between Bose and JBL. Because Bose has the slightly higher overall satisfaction rating, we’re crowning Bose the winner here. Though, as you’ve seen, you can’t go wrong with either brand.
That’s why we periodically poll Mashable readers to see which products they use and love. For this edition of the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards, big names like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL were in close competition. But in the end, Bose came out on top for both headphones/earbuds and speakers.
Top headphone and earbud brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose wins the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall headphones/earbuds brand in 2026.
We’ve tested all of Bose’s recent headphones and earbuds offerings, and you’ll find them all over our best lists. Readers praised Bose’s sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation, with multiple people noting that Bose headphones are great for travel.
One respondent said, “Bose are the standard in leading sound quality.” While another noted, “For the price and sound quality, I believe there is no equal.”
Another reader wrote that they always have a great experience with Bose and usually consider its products when purchasing.
Our own headphone expert, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, noted that the release of Bose’s noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones in 2000 changed the game.
“For the past 26 years, Bose proved its consistency release after release, blending together comfortable all-day wear and some of the best noise cancellation available on the market, making it hard to not feel satisfied with the experience of using their headphones, and trusting in their ability to deliver on a premium product,” Allard said.
Bose is our readers’ favorite headphones and earbuds brand in 2026.Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Apple was the second-highest rated for overall satisfaction and the brand readers were most likely to recommend. A large ratio of responses mentioned the seamless pairing and integration across other Apple devices.
“Apple’s AirPods Pro are extremely convenient with instant pairing, great integration across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and top-tier transparency mode that makes them perfect for commuting and working in shared spaces. The noise cancellation, sound quality, and call performance are strong enough that I can use a single pair of earbuds for work, workouts, and travel,” reported one respondent.
Best headphone/earbud brand for noise cancellation
Noise cancellation can be either passive or active. Passive noise cancellation refers to how much sound is blocked out by the headphones/earbuds themselves, with factors such as materials used and how tight the seal is over or in your ear. Active noise cancellation is achieved via microphones in the headphones that measure sound waves and create inverse wavelengths to cancel out the noise. Additionally, headphones and earbuds will often have a built-in white noise-esque hiss to cover some frequencies. When testing audio products, we typically dock headphones and earbuds if we’re able to hear that hiss.
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, Mashable readers rated Bose and Sony the same, 8.3 out of 10. Because Bose had the higher overall score, we’re awarding it the win.
That also aligns with our own testing. Allard named the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) the best overall value for noise-cancelling headphones, with “the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC.” But did note that Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have the best noise cancellation overall.
Allard says, “In my own testing of Bose headphones and earbuds, I’ve found them to this day to provide the longest wearing options that really do deliver on top-notch ANC. Yes, their products are an investment, but they’re also the manifestation of the phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’”
One of our readers said they’d recommend Bose because “the noise cancelling is still among the best, which makes a huge difference when I’m flying or working in noisy coffee shops.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for sound quality
Sound quality is another area where we saw a tie between two brands. Sony and JBL were both rated 8.5 in sound quality, but we’ve crowned Sony the winner because of its higher overall satisfaction score.
If you look at any of our headphones or earbuds guides, you’ll see that Sony consistently wins superlatives for its sound quality. We’ve named the WH-1000XM6s the “best sounding headphones” and the WF-1000XM6s the “best overall” earbuds, noting that Sony provides “some of the best sound quality available.”
Mashable Light Speed
We agree with our readers that Sony headphones and earbuds have excellent sound quality.Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Many of our survey respondents called out Sony’s sound quality in their answers: “Good build quality and really good sound,” “Very good sound, great value,” and “The sound is amazing” were common responses.
One reader said, “I would recommend the Sony headset because it delivers excellent sound quality, clear microphone audio, and comfortable ear padding that’s ideal for long use.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for battery life
What good is a pair of headphones or earbuds if they’re dead every time you go to wear them? Battery life is an important factor in choosing a portable audio product, and Mashable readers found Sony to be the best in that regard.
“The battery life easily lasts through a full day,” said one reader.
Best headphone/earbud brand for comfort
Mashable’s headphone experts all name Bose as the most comfortable headphones, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) topping our list of the most comfortable headphones we’ve ever tested. However, Mashable readers have a different opinion.
JBL actually took the win with the highest comfort score in our survey. One respondent said, “The sound is fantastic and fit is comfortable.”
Another echoed that sentiment, saying, “They hold up and sound great, plus they’re affordable and comfortable.”
Most likely to recommend
Apple won in a number of categories this year, and it’s the brand our readers were most likely to recommend to a friend or colleague. We’re huge Apple nerds at Mashable, so it’s no surprise that our readers are, too.
Our reviewers rank Apple, Bose, and Sony headphones among the best.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
One of the most common reasons readers love Apple AirPods products? The easy pairing between AirPods and other Apple devices.
“I’d recommend AirPods to people who use Apple devices because they connect instantly, are extremely easy to use, and work great for calls and casual listening,” said one response.
Comments praised Apple earbuds for their ease of use, integration with other Apple products, quick pairing, quality, fit, value, and reliability.
“I would recommend Apple because their devices are reliable, easy to use, and work really well together,” wrote one reader. “The products last a long time, and I trust the brand and feel confident recommending to others.”
Top speaker brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose comes out on top once again, winning the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall speakers in 2026. Our readers sang Bose’s praises for excellent sound quality, easy portability, and longevity — multiple respondents mentioned owning the same Bose speaker for more than 10 years.
One reader said, “Bose is phenomenal in the speaker game; I can’t say enough about them, especially if you are listening to hear, feel, and understand the music — not just listening to pass the time. Bose is where you want to be.”
Our survey results actually paint a picture of a neck-and-neck race between Bose and JBL, each taking turns beating the other out for the top spot in almost every ranking category.
The one space where they were both outranked was smart features. Amazon was ranked highest there, which is a shock to no one. One reader said, “I’d recommend Amazon because the Echo Dot offers excellent smart features with Alexa, easy setup, and surprisingly good sound for a very affordable price, making it a great everyday home speaker.”
Best speaker brand for sound quality
In addition to being the best speaker brand overall, Bose takes the cake for best sound quality.
Mashable readers loved Bose speakers for their reliability and sound quality, and rated Bose highest for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Allard noted that Bose products tend to sound great out of the box, so you don’t have to mess around with the equalizer to get a great listening experience. Other Mashable reviewers agree that they sound excellent and have room-filling sound that doesn’t get muddy or blown out at loud volumes.
As one reader put it, Bose has “unbelievable sound quality, great lows and crisp highs; just a terrific speaker.”
Best speaker brand for battery life
Most Bluetooth speakers are also portable, meaning they don’t have to be plugged into anything to play music. That also means they rely on a charged battery to keep the audio going.
Mashable readers found JBL speakers to have the best battery life, with one commenting that the “battery lasts all day.”
Mashable readers loved JBL speakers for their battery life, portability, cost, design, setup, ease of use, cvolume level, companion app, and connectivity.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Best speaker brand for portability
On top of battery being a factor in portability, size, weight, and design also play a role. Again, Mashable readers rated JBL highest for portability. They mentioned taking their JBL speakers to the park, the beach, rooftop hangs, gatherings in small apartments, and on hikes.
The scale tips back to Bose for reliability. As mentioned earlier, multiple Bose users reported owning the same speaker for more than a decade.
One reader said of their Bose SoundLink Revolve, “Wonderful sound in a small, portable speaker. I’ve had this speaker for years, and it’s always been my go-to speaker.”
Another voiced, “Bose is a tried and true brand that still delivers some of the best sound at a reasonable price point.”
Most likely to recommend
The speaker brand that Mashable readers are most likely to recommend to their friends, family, and colleagues is a tie between Bose and JBL. Because Bose has the slightly higher overall satisfaction rating, we’re crowning Bose the winner here. Though, as you’ve seen, you can’t go wrong with either brand.
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#Readers #Choice #Awards #headphone #speaker #brands">Readers’ Choice Awards 2026: The best headphone and speaker brands
Table of Contents
The audio world is saturated with high-quality headphones, earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers. Arguably, it’s oversaturated. People also have very strong opinions about the best audio brands and products — us included.
We test audio gear all the time and get our hands on all the newest releases. And our experts are great resources to find the best headphones, earbuds, and speakers to buy. We test at home — not in a lab — to simulate real-life use. But our tech-obsessed readers often use their devices over the long term and can experience popular audio products at all their highs and lows.
That’s why we periodically poll Mashable readers to see which products they use and love. For this edition of the Mashable Readers’ Choice Awards, big names like Bose, Sony, Apple, and JBL were in close competition. But in the end, Bose came out on top for both headphones/earbuds and speakers.
Top headphone and earbud brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose wins the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall headphones/earbuds brand in 2026.
We’ve tested all of Bose’s recent headphones and earbuds offerings, and you’ll find them all over our best lists. Readers praised Bose’s sound quality, comfort, and noise cancellation, with multiple people noting that Bose headphones are great for travel.
One respondent said, “Bose are the standard in leading sound quality.” While another noted, “For the price and sound quality, I believe there is no equal.”
Another reader wrote that they always have a great experience with Bose and usually consider its products when purchasing.
Our own headphone expert, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, noted that the release of Bose’s noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones in 2000 changed the game.
“For the past 26 years, Bose proved its consistency release after release, blending together comfortable all-day wear and some of the best noise cancellation available on the market, making it hard to not feel satisfied with the experience of using their headphones, and trusting in their ability to deliver on a premium product,” Allard said.
Bose is our readers’ favorite headphones and earbuds brand in 2026.Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Apple was the second-highest rated for overall satisfaction and the brand readers were most likely to recommend. A large ratio of responses mentioned the seamless pairing and integration across other Apple devices.
“Apple’s AirPods Pro are extremely convenient with instant pairing, great integration across my iPhone, Mac, and iPad, and top-tier transparency mode that makes them perfect for commuting and working in shared spaces. The noise cancellation, sound quality, and call performance are strong enough that I can use a single pair of earbuds for work, workouts, and travel,” reported one respondent.
Best headphone/earbud brand for noise cancellation
Noise cancellation can be either passive or active. Passive noise cancellation refers to how much sound is blocked out by the headphones/earbuds themselves, with factors such as materials used and how tight the seal is over or in your ear. Active noise cancellation is achieved via microphones in the headphones that measure sound waves and create inverse wavelengths to cancel out the noise. Additionally, headphones and earbuds will often have a built-in white noise-esque hiss to cover some frequencies. When testing audio products, we typically dock headphones and earbuds if we’re able to hear that hiss.
When it comes to noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, Mashable readers rated Bose and Sony the same, 8.3 out of 10. Because Bose had the higher overall score, we’re awarding it the win.
That also aligns with our own testing. Allard named the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) the best overall value for noise-cancelling headphones, with “the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC.” But did note that Sony’s WH-1000XM6 headphones have the best noise cancellation overall.
Allard says, “In my own testing of Bose headphones and earbuds, I’ve found them to this day to provide the longest wearing options that really do deliver on top-notch ANC. Yes, their products are an investment, but they’re also the manifestation of the phrase ‘You get what you pay for.’”
One of our readers said they’d recommend Bose because “the noise cancelling is still among the best, which makes a huge difference when I’m flying or working in noisy coffee shops.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for sound quality
Sound quality is another area where we saw a tie between two brands. Sony and JBL were both rated 8.5 in sound quality, but we’ve crowned Sony the winner because of its higher overall satisfaction score.
If you look at any of our headphones or earbuds guides, you’ll see that Sony consistently wins superlatives for its sound quality. We’ve named the WH-1000XM6s the “best sounding headphones” and the WF-1000XM6s the “best overall” earbuds, noting that Sony provides “some of the best sound quality available.”
Mashable Light Speed
We agree with our readers that Sony headphones and earbuds have excellent sound quality.Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
Many of our survey respondents called out Sony’s sound quality in their answers: “Good build quality and really good sound,” “Very good sound, great value,” and “The sound is amazing” were common responses.
One reader said, “I would recommend the Sony headset because it delivers excellent sound quality, clear microphone audio, and comfortable ear padding that’s ideal for long use.”
Best headphone/earbud brand for battery life
What good is a pair of headphones or earbuds if they’re dead every time you go to wear them? Battery life is an important factor in choosing a portable audio product, and Mashable readers found Sony to be the best in that regard.
“The battery life easily lasts through a full day,” said one reader.
Best headphone/earbud brand for comfort
Mashable’s headphone experts all name Bose as the most comfortable headphones, with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) topping our list of the most comfortable headphones we’ve ever tested. However, Mashable readers have a different opinion.
JBL actually took the win with the highest comfort score in our survey. One respondent said, “The sound is fantastic and fit is comfortable.”
Another echoed that sentiment, saying, “They hold up and sound great, plus they’re affordable and comfortable.”
Most likely to recommend
Apple won in a number of categories this year, and it’s the brand our readers were most likely to recommend to a friend or colleague. We’re huge Apple nerds at Mashable, so it’s no surprise that our readers are, too.
Our reviewers rank Apple, Bose, and Sony headphones among the best.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
One of the most common reasons readers love Apple AirPods products? The easy pairing between AirPods and other Apple devices.
“I’d recommend AirPods to people who use Apple devices because they connect instantly, are extremely easy to use, and work great for calls and casual listening,” said one response.
Comments praised Apple earbuds for their ease of use, integration with other Apple products, quick pairing, quality, fit, value, and reliability.
“I would recommend Apple because their devices are reliable, easy to use, and work really well together,” wrote one reader. “The products last a long time, and I trust the brand and feel confident recommending to others.”
Top speaker brands for 2026
Use the arrows on the chart below to toggle through each of the categories from our survey results.
Bose comes out on top once again, winning the Mashable Readers’ Choice Award for best overall speakers in 2026. Our readers sang Bose’s praises for excellent sound quality, easy portability, and longevity — multiple respondents mentioned owning the same Bose speaker for more than 10 years.
One reader said, “Bose is phenomenal in the speaker game; I can’t say enough about them, especially if you are listening to hear, feel, and understand the music — not just listening to pass the time. Bose is where you want to be.”
Our survey results actually paint a picture of a neck-and-neck race between Bose and JBL, each taking turns beating the other out for the top spot in almost every ranking category.
The one space where they were both outranked was smart features. Amazon was ranked highest there, which is a shock to no one. One reader said, “I’d recommend Amazon because the Echo Dot offers excellent smart features with Alexa, easy setup, and surprisingly good sound for a very affordable price, making it a great everyday home speaker.”
Best speaker brand for sound quality
In addition to being the best speaker brand overall, Bose takes the cake for best sound quality.
Mashable readers loved Bose speakers for their reliability and sound quality, and rated Bose highest for overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable
Allard noted that Bose products tend to sound great out of the box, so you don’t have to mess around with the equalizer to get a great listening experience. Other Mashable reviewers agree that they sound excellent and have room-filling sound that doesn’t get muddy or blown out at loud volumes.
As one reader put it, Bose has “unbelievable sound quality, great lows and crisp highs; just a terrific speaker.”
Best speaker brand for battery life
Most Bluetooth speakers are also portable, meaning they don’t have to be plugged into anything to play music. That also means they rely on a charged battery to keep the audio going.
Mashable readers found JBL speakers to have the best battery life, with one commenting that the “battery lasts all day.”
Mashable readers loved JBL speakers for their battery life, portability, cost, design, setup, ease of use, cvolume level, companion app, and connectivity.Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable
Best speaker brand for portability
On top of battery being a factor in portability, size, weight, and design also play a role. Again, Mashable readers rated JBL highest for portability. They mentioned taking their JBL speakers to the park, the beach, rooftop hangs, gatherings in small apartments, and on hikes.
The scale tips back to Bose for reliability. As mentioned earlier, multiple Bose users reported owning the same speaker for more than a decade.
One reader said of their Bose SoundLink Revolve, “Wonderful sound in a small, portable speaker. I’ve had this speaker for years, and it’s always been my go-to speaker.”
Another voiced, “Bose is a tried and true brand that still delivers some of the best sound at a reasonable price point.”
Most likely to recommend
The speaker brand that Mashable readers are most likely to recommend to their friends, family, and colleagues is a tie between Bose and JBL. Because Bose has the slightly higher overall satisfaction rating, we’re crowning Bose the winner here. Though, as you’ve seen, you can’t go wrong with either brand.
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